Inferno

twenty six | the morning after

When the first rays hit me and gradually consciousness kicks in, I can't help feeling overwhelmed by a sensory profusion; one of which comes down to the chemical strawberry scent of my gloss now transferred onto Chase's shirt. Head snuggled beneath his arm, I don't bother looking up while tracing patterns on his chest, mind replaying last night and a tingle erupting within, unaware of his eyes on me. "When did you become a morning person, smiley?"

The tingles burst into an explosion of red over my face and chest, the primal Leia instinct wanting a hideaway, but a refusal coming off my gaze meeting his, and the smile only growing instead of shying away to nothing. "People change people. It's the secret of life."

"An intellectual too? What else is new with this Leia, come on catch me up on everything."

"That'll take a while," Hooking one of my legs with his, I hover above, reeling in the minty fragrance 'd missed all this while and planting my lips on his once more before circumstances kick in. Seconds in and out of breath, it's still up for debate if it's adrenaline or Chase. "So, why not we schedule that up for later, and now I go take a shower while you figure how you want to play this out."

Hands clutching the silky pillow cover while I rise out of the sheets, I'm tugged back in by Chase, him now sitting straight up and inspite of what the missing buttons on his shirt, the sheen on his torso conveys, with a rather serious look on his face. "Last night was great, and I didn't have a doubt it'd go any other way with you." I feel my heart flip, and it takes some time to register there's more than anxiety to it now, something deeper even. "But I don't want this to be another episode like Spain, where we're both into uncharted waters and with no clarity whatsoever. I think we both owe each other that transparency about what is this going to be. Lay everything out on table now."

Taken aback, I try reminding myself of what I left him to and why I shouldn't be questioning this repulse. Repulse chance and fate. "You're right. I... I'm sorry for whatever happened then, it was on me that I was muddled and so terrified of committing to anyone, I escaped without a word. There's no justification to it, but I hope there's some reason in everything that I told you last night."

'I bared my soul,' I almost mutter before reining it in. "About that... I probably shouldn't have said those things at that place at that point of time. It wasn't very sensitive of me, I guess," he looks down at the printed covers, somehow a part of the conversation, sitting so close to me I can practically feel the warmth radiating, yet alienated in a manner I can't quite explain or rather don't want to. "I understand this is quite complicated, and there honestly weren't any expectations from my side when we—"

"I don't want to let you go, Chase. I can't, again, so you figure out a way to deal with me because this is happening, and I hope you're not having a girlfriend or else I'd have to storm off looking like this," I point to myself, eyes smudged, hair all floppy and a rattled expression on me in all probability.

He stays zipped, my nerves crackling until the sheets crumple up on my side and I find him leaning closer, his hand on my cheek and any ifs and buts sealed with a kiss. It's amusing how it ends up bringing tears to my eyes and searing the exposed skin beneath my bra at the same time, just another reminder of how we run hot and cold all at once. "So, is it what I think it is now? We're one of those, huh."

"Hey, it's your pick. Boyfriend or side piece, the choice is completely yours, Cameron."

"See, now that's new. An attitude problem," his sarcasm and unhinged guffaws are muffled by a pillow in my hand, little cotton feathers gathering round us, as if spinning to concoct a universe where no one else has to be, but only us comfortably settled in our slanted understanding, together till time allows.